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Wenger - We were prepared for this situation

Arsène Wenger says his Arsenal squad is well placed to deal with Robin van Persie’s departure because the Club “anticipated the situation”.

The Dutch striker completed his move to Manchester United on Friday, but the Gunners have ready-made replacements in new signings Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud.

It is a different story to last summer, when Wenger made late moves to replace Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri. The manager admits he acted swiftly to prevent a repeat.

“We are better prepared because we anticipated the situation,” he said. “That doesn't mean it is easy to replace a player like Robin.

“We are prepared and had anticipated the situation for a long, long time. We didn't manage to extend Van Persie's contract, we had to act and that is what we did.

“I have seen so many situations where players want to go and in the end they change their mind or players who stay and in the end they want to go. In our job you have to adapt.

“A human being sometimes has surprising actions and our job is to adapt day to day. Every day you find a new problem and you have just sorted one out. Then just behind that there is another one.”

Wenger admits it will be a challenge to replace the prolific Van Persie, but is confident his team have the necessary qualities to thrive this season.

“We bought players who can provide, we bought players who can score,” he said. “I read some articles and some people just add the goals of one player to the other - football doesn't work like that, it is more complicated and also more simple.

“We lose a great player, a world-class player, I don't deny that. It is a massive challenge to replace him, so we have to be even more of a team and work together more to compensate that loss. We have lost world-class players before and we always survived.”

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